Brutal Honesty
by the story of a girl
Summary: The truth hurts...and Amelia Shepherd is using that to her full advantage. Spin on some of the things that weren't said during the intervention, and what follows. Focuses primarily on Amelia, Charlotte, and Cooper, but other characters present. *Ch. 4 up*
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! I am new to Private Practice fic, though not so new to fic-writing in general. I loved the most recent episode and thought it was so powerful...but I also love the relationship between Amelia and Charlotte and didn't think that we got to see enough of it. So to start, this story may be a bit harsh, but hey, Amelia wants her drugs, and she wants them now!**

**Pretty please read and respond. I very much appreciate comments.**

**Thank you and enjoy! Oh, and obviously I own nothing.**

**-K**

"_You're sweating and your foot is shaking…"_

Amelia Shepherd would remember today as one of the worst days of her life.

"_You're aging and your husband hates you so, you know…things could be worse for me."_

She trusted these people. They were her friends. No, they were her family. Seaside Wellness meant everything to Amelia. Well, it used to anyway. Right now she didn't care about being a doctor. Hell, she would let a patient die right in front of her if it meant she could score some more oxy. All she wanted was to be high and to be with Ryan. She didn't need anyone or anything else. As long as she had him, she had everything.

"_Honestly Pete, all I have been able to think since I saved your pathetic life is, 'was it worth it?' because you're kind of a tool."_

Amelia listened to the awful things she was saying to her colleagues and it gave her a great sense of satisfaction. She would not go down without a fight. Her eyes darted around the room, and she could see everyone was watching her like some kind of zoo animal. What trick will Amelia do next? Well, they want a show? That's what they'll get.

"_That's her thing, raping her personal experiences for attention."_

She could tell she was hurting them. Their eyes were filled with a sadness that was no longer just pity. _Good_, she thought. _I want them to hate me. I want them to hate me so they'll stop caring…so I can go home and get high. _

"…_Oops, did I say rape? Sorry Charlotte."  
><em>

The tension in the room was thick. "Touchy subject?"

"Amelia…" Violet started.

"What, can't handle it? Too soon?" She leaned back in her seat. "God forbid anyone acknowledge that Charlotte King is damaged." Amelia muttered.

"Amelia!" Cooper protested.

Charlotte raised her hand in protest. "It's alright, Coop." She said quietly. "Let her finish."

"You _are_ damaged, you know that." Amelia locked eyes with Charlotte. Her anger toward the blonde was growing stronger with each passing second. "Okay, good. Wanted to make sure we're all on the same page here."

Charlotte was supposed to be her friend…her confidant…the only person who could truly understand her. But instead she betrayed her, and Amelia refused to accept betrayal.

"You walk around here all high and mighty, like you're an image of perfection…but I've seen it, Charlotte. I've seen those moments…those fleeting moments…where you stop for a second and I know you're re-living it. I can see it on your face, and I can see it in your eyes." Her words were cold and sharp. "…and I know you're back there, in that office, fighting for your life." Amelia leaned forward. "You lost that fight, by the way." She shrugged. "You lost. He won."

Charlotte had so many things she wanted to say to the young doctor. She wanted to get up and throw that little girl on the ground. _I am fine_, she wanted to say. But no matter how hard she tried to speak, she couldn't seem to form the words.

"Oh, and does he know?" Amelia now focused her attention on Cooper. "Does he know that every time you close your eyes you still see his face? Still see him on top of you...?"

"Please." Charlotte could feel the color drain from her face.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was that supposed to be a secret between friends? Because I kinda forgot about the whole friendship thing when you threatened to take my medical license away."

"Stop it, Amelia." Cooper warned.

"Or what?" She laughed. "What are you gonna do, Cooper? Why stand up for her now? I mean honestly, you kissed me while your wife was recovering from being brutally attacked. Real class act, Coop. Well done." She smiled wickedly. "Should have just slept with you, but I guess I didn't realize how much of a bitch Charlotte was at that point."

"Excuse me?" Charlotte glared.

"You didn't get the memo?" Amelia looked around. "Oh, I'm sorry. Well, here it is. You're a bitch." She nodded. "A total and complete bitch, and you deserved everything that happened to you."

Silence.

"Amelia Shepherd, you listen to me and you listen to me good because I'm only sayin' this once." She put her hand on her hip. "I want you to get help. I want you to get clean, I do. But once you're sober, God as my witness, I never…_ever_…want to see your face again." And with that, Charlotte rose from the couch, using the little dignity she had left to make a graceful exit.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for a bit of the delay in updating, but with the holidays and everything it all got a bit slowed down! Speaking of, Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans :) Hope you all had a wonderful day.**

**Also, thank you SO much for the reviews. I really really appreciate them.**

**Anyway, onto Chapter 2. Enjoy!**

**-K**

**Chapter 2**

Charlotte King needs to feel in control. Whether at work or home, she is the decision maker. She calls the shots. Of course she would have a lot more friends if she could loosen up even the slightest bit, but she values respect more than friendship.

Lee McHenry was an average man at best. Average height, average weight, average looking…there was nothing particularly special about him. Maybe if he was just a little bit tougher looking…a little bit more threatening…maybe then she wouldn't have felt so pathetic for not having the strength to fight him.

_Why couldn't I fight him off?_ She asks herself for what must be the thousandth time. She replays the scene over and over again in her head, trying to figure out how she could have stopped him before he pinned her down. Could she have screamed louder, or fought harder? In her heart she knows that she did all she could, but somehow has a hard time believing it.

"Char, I gotta tell you. I am _so_ glad I didn't know you when you were on drugs because it is brutal out there!" Cooper walks into his wife's office, interrupting her train of thought.

"Real nice, Coop." She replies dryly, a bit agitated that he came after her. Cooper knows that she likes to be alone when she's upset.

"Sorry, that was rude, wasn't it?" He held up his hand, stopping her before she could get a chance to speak. "Don't even answer that. It was, I know. I'm sorry." He sighs, "But really, I don't care what kind of drugs Amelia's on, that was way out of line." He paced back and forth. "I know we're supposed to be supportive and caring, but honestly, I'm kinda pissed off!" He stopped for a moment, looking over at his wife. "I mean, why would she say things like that?"

"Not a drug in the world that's powerful enough to force you to say something you don't want to say." Charlotte's tone lacked any touch of emotion. "Just because she'd never say those things sober doesn't mean she's never thought about it."

Cooper sighed, defeated. "This sucks."

"She'll be alright." She shrugged. "Get her the help she needs, she'll be apologizing for all of this before you know it. She's got a good support system, that's key."

"You make it seem so easy."

She cocked her eyebrow, looking over at him. Staying off pills has continued to be one of the greatest battles of her life. She fight each and everyday to resist the temptation to start up again. "Yeah, well, I make a lot of things seem easy." She sighed. "Fool a lot of people."

"Char…" Cooper finally started to realize that his wife was upset. "You okay?" He asked delicately, knowing how much she hated that particular question.

"Fine." Her tone was flat and unconvincing.

Cooper smiled sadly. "Okay." He had learned that pushing Charlotte to talk if she wasn't ready would get him nowhere. "Well, I should probably go back out there. See what other surprises our resident addict has in store for us."

"Enjoy yourself." She rolled her eyes, studying her computer screen.

He nodded. "Okay, then…" He took a few steps closer to the door, but stopped before he could even reach the handle. "I can't do this."

Charlotte looked up at her husband, un-amused. "Need me to walk you back?" She asked sarcastically.

"How can I go out there…how can I give all my love and support to Amelia while you're sitting in here, obviously upset?" He sighed. "You're my priority, Charlotte. You're my number one, not her."

"Coop…" Charlotte began.

"Please just let me help you. Please, just – "

"Coop." Charlotte interrupted.

"Yeah?"

She tried to compose her thoughts. "It was right there." She stared at the spot Cooper was standing. "Right where you're standin'."

Cooper looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry?"

"I know the spot because I was looking up at the ceiling," She looked up. "Right where that little crack is up there, you see it? Once I realized I couldn't fight anymore, I had to focus on something…other than him."

"Charlotte…" He understood now what she was referring to.

"I tried so hard to fight him, Coop. I gave it all I had, but I was so tired…" She trailed off. "It had just been such a long day and maybe if I…if I had all my strength I could've taken him."

Cooper moved closer to his wife, kneeling beside her, resting his hand on her knee.

"I play it over and over again in my head and I just think maybe if I wasn't so tired…" She repeated.

"Hey." He took her hand. "Look at me." No response. "Charlotte, look at me." He could see the tears welling in her eyes. "You couldn't have fought any harder than you did. I mean, look at you, 90 pounds soaking wet…I didn't know you had that kind of fight in you." He saw her crack a small smile, and it made him smile too. "You could take me down for sure."

"Damn right I could." She held onto his hand.

"It's just…It's too much. It's too damn much." Charlotte shook her head. "I may hate her right now, but I'm still worried sick about Amelia. She's got a real long road ahead of her." She paused. "…and I just didn't want think about this right now…not with everything else going on." Her voice cracked. "It's too much, Cooper."

"I know." He whispered, taking her into his arms. "I know it is."

She leaned into him, allowing a few stray tears to fall.

"But I'm here, okay? I'm right here." He soothed. "You don't always have to be the strong one. I know you like it. I know it makes you feel safe, and so I'm okay with it…I let you do it. But you can let people help you sometimes." He held her close. "Its nothing to be ashamed of."

She clung to him now, overwrought with emotion. She realized that at some point he had moved onto her chair and was now holding her in his lap. "I'm trying. I swear to you I'm trying."

"I know." He kissed the top of her head. "You'll get there."

"Promise me you'll be patient."

"Promise me you'll stop blaming yourself for what happened to you." He retorted.

She pulled away, looking at him. "You know that ain't fair, I asked you first." She waited for him to smile, or say anything for that matter. "Alright, fine. I promise."

"I need you to say it."

She looked at him for a while. "It wasn't my fault." She finally spoke. "'Course it wasn't my fault. I save lives. I help people. I'm a good person, I mean…I'm a little rough around the edges, I know, but I'm not so bad." She paused. "I care about people, I do. And I didn't deserve to be…well, I didn't deserve what happened to me. No one does."

Cooper smiled. "That's my girl." He kissed her. "And I promise I'll be patient. I'm good at that."

"Thank you." She leaned into him again, feeling herself relax. "So…do you think I'm damaged?" She asked nonchalantly.

"Who the hell isn't?"

"Fair enough." She nodded. "Think I'm a bitch?"

"I think we've had enough questions for today." He grinned.


	3. Chapter 3

******And we're back with the next installment. A little bit short, but just gearing up for the next one which I expect to be a bit lengthier.**

**I was very sad with no reviews on the previous chapter, so please please, take a moment to review if you could! I so appreciate it!**

**-K**

**Chapter 3**

The tone of the intervention had changed considerably. After what could only be described as a screaming match, Addison caved in and supplied Amelia with a small amount of oxycodon to keep her quiet. She had hoped this would allow the intervention to run smoothly, but instead it had turned Amelia into an unresponsive figure propped up on the couch.

"Amelia?" Sam pushed her to speak. "Are you hearing us at all?"

"I hear you." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Okay, good. This is good." Addison added. "Do you want some water? Or food, maybe? I can bring you food."

"Where's Charlotte?" She asked, unaware of how pitiful she sounded.

"Uh…" Cooper, who had recently rejoined the group, hesitated for a moment, "She's…working."

The brunette nodded, looking down at her feet. "Could you…could you please get her?" Her voice was weak. "Could you get her?" She repeated. "I need…I need her here."

"Amelia, I'm not sure it's a good idea." Cooper knew that no matter how angry his wife may have been, she would have come running if she saw the state that Amelia was in. But he couldn't help trying to protect her from all of this. She was already emotional and vulnerable, and he just wanted to keep her safe.

"I'll get her." Addison interjected, rising from her seat, making a quick escape toward Charlotte's office.

"Addison, wait." Cooper followed.

"Are you kidding me, Cooper?" She spun around to face him as soon as they were out of view. Her eyes were filled with rage. "Please tell me you have a good reason for what you just said, because I swear…" She trailed off.

"Amelia really hurt her, okay? And it scares me that she has the ability to do that, because there are very few people out there who can actually get to Charlotte." He avoided eye contact with the redhead. "People have said a lot of awful things to her, and she brushes it off. It's amazing, really. But she's hurting right now…really hurting…and I have to protect her."

"We're all hurting!" Addison shouted. "What, you think this is easy for me? This is one of the worst days of my life, Cooper, but I'm not backing down and I'm not running away because this isn't about me!" She took a moment to compose her thoughts. "Look, I know you're just trying to be a good husband, and it's all very noble and chivalrous, but now is not the time, Cooper. Today isn't about Charlotte." She looked him straight in the eye. "Charlotte won't die if she doesn't get to rehab today." Addison could feel tears forming in her eyes, but fought them back. "So lay off, Cooper."

"She told me I was barren." Addison stormed into Charlotte's office.

"I'm sorry?" Charlotte looked up, taken aback by her colleague.

"Amelia. She told me I was barren…among other things…many other, very hurtful things…" Addison clarified. "And I'm not going to forget what she said…I can't forget it. And at some point down the line, we'll talk about it like two adults. But right now, she's not an adult. She's not even a child…I don't…I don't know what she is."

Charlotte pursed her lips, "She's an addict."

Addison sighed, taking a seat. "Yes. And she needs our help or she will die." She paused, "She needs _all _of our help…including yours."

The blonde shook her head. "I'm going to be honest with you, Addison…but don't you tell anyone what I'm saying in here, alright?"

"Okay…"

"This…is very hard for me."

Addison threw her hands up in the air, clearly frustrated. "Well, sound the alarms! Charlotte King has feelings."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm." The blonde's voice was stern. "This all hits very close to home, and I'm not goin' to be able to get to a meeting until tonight…" She paused. "And I need…I need a break."

"I'm sorry." Addison's tone softened. "I know this is hard for you. I know it's different for you as a former addict, and I know you've got your own issues to deal with." She sighed, "But we're talking about Amelia, here. _Amelia_. And I know you care about her…I know you do. You don't smile at anyone, Charlotte, but you smile at her." She sees Charlotte about to interrupt, and holds up her hand to silence her. "Don't even deny it. Won't do you any good. I'm very perceptive, you know."

"Fine." Charlotte rolls her eyes. "I care. Happy now?"

"I'll be happy when you prove that you actually give a damn and act like a real friend." She sighs. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean that. I'm just…I'm under a lot of pressure right now." She takes a shaky breath.

Charlotte leans back in her chair. "It's alright."

"So…I'm gonna go now." The redhead nods, seeing herself out. "But while you sit here feeling sorry for yourself, just know that she's asking for you. She needs _you."_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi all, thanks again for reading. I hope you enjoy this next mega-angsty chapter! As always, reviews mean the world to me. **

**Enjoy.**

**-K**

***** Oh, and quick note - to the anonymous someone who left a lovely comment about how I keep addressing Charlotte as "the older woman" and Amelia as "younger"...I do realize they are not extremely far apart in age, but its just a way to differentiate between the two. No need to get all worked up.*****

**Chapter 4**

Addison returned to the group, slumping down in her seat. Cooper raised an eyebrow, but the redhead just shrugged, unable to give much information at this point.

"She hates me." Amelia, who was beginning to sweat again, spoke in a hushed tone.

"No she doesn't." Cooper replied. "She's just…being Charlotte."

"Then why are you all here, and she isn't?" She asked, avoiding eye contact. She could feel them all looking at her, and would give everything for just a few moments of alone time.

"I don't hate you and I am here." Charlotte waltzed into the room, casually taking a seat next to Amelia. "You're sweating again." She pointed out. "Starting to shake too."

"Charlotte." The brunette looked up at the older woman, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry for…for what I said to you."

"It's nothing." Charlotte dismissed the thought. "I'm sorry too, for over-reacting like I did. You're going through hell right now, don't really mean what you say." She shifted in her seat. "No need to apologize now anyway, plenty of time for that once you're sober…but you know that already." Charlotte was speaking to Amelia as if she were a patient, rather than a friend. She knew that her tone was coming off a bit icy, but worried that if she acted any other way she may seem weak to her colleagues and friends.

Charlotte leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms. "So, what'd I miss?" She glanced around the room. "Obviously someone gave this girl some oxy or she'd be tearin' her hair out by now."

"We did..._I_ did." Addison clarified. "Fifty milligrams…she wouldn't have stayed without it. It was the only way we could get her to listen to us."

"And are you listenin', Amelia?" The blonde focused her attention on the young doctor again. "Or are you just biding your time until everyone gets tired of talking?"

"I don't know." Amelia pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Don't give me that, of course you know. You've got it all figured out. Eventually everyone's got to get home, right? Can't sit out here talking to you forever." She nodded. "Once they tire out and let you go home, you'll do all the drugs you can get your pretty little hands on."

"I don't have anything figured out."

Charlotte laughed, "I think you do."

"Stop it, Charlotte." Amelia fired back, her tone finally above a whisper for the first time in what seemed like hours.

"Your mind isn't your own, and you're taking all of us for fools. Thinking we'll just let you go so easy."

"You can't just keep me here. I want to go home." The brunette stammered. "To sleep. I just need to sleep."

"Bullshit."

"Charlotte!" Violet intervened.

"What, Violet? Think you can do better? Think your shrink talk will do her any good?" She snapped. "I _know_ what Amelia's going through, and I also know that she is being controlled entirely by her addiction. She'll pull any trick in the book to get more drugs, and I will be damned if I let that happen!"

"Look at me." She propped herself up in front of Amelia. "Look…" She cupped her face, forcing the younger woman to look back at her. "…at me." She could see that she had her attention and focus. "Good. Now listen...I care about you, okay? I confide in you. I trust you."

"And she doesn't trust anyone." Cooper interrupted.

"Now I'm not going to sit here tellin' you how brilliant and beautiful you are, or how you'll wind up dead if you don't stop what you're doing. What I will tell you is that you are strong." She firmly took her hands. "You are so much stronger than you even care to admit, and you can kick this, Amelia. You can get sober."

Amelia felt the tears she had been holding back since the morning, and knew it was useless to try and stop them. "I can't." She whimpered.

"Yes you can." Charlotte's tone softened. "I'll help you…we'll all help you." She clarified.

"I…." The brunette gasped to catch her breath. "…am so scared." She cries intensified, and she began to shake even more. "I'm so scared, Charlotte."

"I know. I know you are." Her grasp on the younger woman's hands tightened.

Amelia was now sobbing. It was as if all of her pent-up emotion from the past few months decided to come crashing down at this exact moment.

For a moment, Charlotte was left dumbfounded. Emotion was not her strongest suit, and she was unsure how to handle Amelia. She felt a light squeeze on her shoulder, and looked up to see Sheldon.

"I can take it from here." He gave a sad smile, allowing Charlotte to move away as he took Amelia into his arms. "You did good, Char." He then turned his attention towared Amelia, soothing and rocking her gently.

Charlotte took a breath, getting up and rounding the corner. She leaned back against the wall, taking slow, deep breaths to keep herself in control. _You did good_, she told herself. _You did good._


End file.
